steven36 Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 Imported next-gen consoles are already available for pre-order in China, says Apptutti's Daniel Camilo Both the Xbox Series X/S and the PlayStation 5 have now been revealed, with their respective prices, launch line-ups and release dates disclosed. The world is ready for next-gen -- except, perhaps, for the biggest gaming market in the world, China. But is that really the case? Xbox and PS5 coming to China? While Microsoft has not publicly addressed the issue yet, Sony did mention China in its recent PlayStation 5 showcase when the release date and prices were announced -- "PS5 launch date for China is still under exploration and will be announced at a later date" could be read in small print when the launch dates for the rest of the world were displayed. That the PS5 and the Xbox X/S wouldn't be available in China at the same time as other major markets doesn't really come as a surprise, as I explained in a previous article. While both the PS4 and Xbox One (and Nintendo Switch) have been officially launched in China with specifically targeted, region-locked machines, they arrived in the market years after being released elsewhere. Tight regulations and licensing issues for entertainment media and content in the country are the main reasons for that. While the official versions of the consoles are available, they could never realistically challenge the appeal and availability of imported hardware, which largely outsells the licensed versions in this case. Imported consoles and games are easily available on e-commerce platforms like Taobao -- the biggest e-commerce platform in China -- and most console gamers in China simply acquire what they need there. Pricing isn't even an issue, as even these "smuggled" products generally match officially recommended prices for other markets, in particular the US and Hong Kong. This is the part where I always feel the need to emphasize just how easy and common it is to find and buy imported games in China (that do not have a publishing license to be commercialized). By using Taobao, or other commonly used online platforms, one can order a physical edition of a game in the morning and still have it delivered in the same day, if ordering from a store in the same city. There's nothing "shady" or secretive about it. Taobao is the de-facto online platform to buy virtually anything in China, and one simply needs to type the names of whatever games or consoles, and they will likely show up with detailed information displayed. PS5 and Xbox Series X/S are already everywhere in China While both Sony and Microsoft are not yet ready to release their new consoles in the country, Chinese consumers already have plenty of choices available to get their hands on the machines very soon after the official release elsewhere. For both the Xbox Series X and S, most sellers are accepting a 500 Yuan deposit (roughly US$ 73), while for the PS5 with the blu-ray player, the deposit is usually 1000 yuan (US$ 147), with 500 Yuan also being the current standard for the digital-only version. Some games are also easy to find already, and all sorts of accessories are either becoming available for pre-order, or will very soon. Where exactly will the consoles come from? Mostly from Hong Kong and Taiwan, but also from Japan, the US and other territories. It's hard to say as there is no clear authority tracking imported games and consoles sold in China -- simply because it would be virtually impossible to track, considering its not-legal-but-nobody-really-cares status. One thing is certain: a considerable amount of hardware will be diverted from other markets into China. Countless traders are making sure of it, as I write this. Will it have an impact on China's console market? What this all means in practice is that the console market in China will remain as it is. Meaning, imported consoles and games will be the primary choice for most consumers, and once (if!) the consoles are actually launched in China, it will be already too late, just as it was for the Xbox One, PS4 and Switch. By then, millions of consoles will be in Chinese households already, and whatever officially launched models may come, they will more likely than not have very strict restrictions, at the very least for the number of games available. Since all console games in China are required to have a publishing license subject to the regulator's approval, a huge proportion of games don't stand a chance of being officially launched due to their content -- violence, gore, politically sensitive themes and/or references, paranormal and religious themes, and gambling mechanics are just some of the issues that could prevent a title from getting a license to be published in China. As long as Chinese authorities don't effectively crack down on imports being sold online, China will continue to have most games and consoles available to interested consumers -- minus, of course, the official marketing and distribution support from the companies producing these products. Daniel Camilo lives in Shenzhen. He is the overseas business developer for Apptutti, a specialist in publishing games in China. Source Karlston, Reefa and Matrix 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d5aqoep Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 People all over the world just need to boycott China till they rise up and overthrow Winnie the Pooh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven36 Posted September 22, 2020 Author Share Posted September 22, 2020 (edited) What this article does is prove much western news about China is not even news worthy when they say China censors games and things . Because they be using imports and they have the same games we do. and when we do, this not very different than back in the 80s and 90s in the USA with the FCC regulating 2 way radios . We would go to a shop and buy a export that was unlocked . Some of this stuff was made in China and really just exports and its just sold on the black market. Wonder why Sony and M$ have problems filling your Pre orders? I'ts because lots of them were bought up by the China black market Edited September 22, 2020 by steven36 Reefa and Matrix 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mp68terr Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 Isn't it also a kind of leak of technology? Business as usual, saying and doing are different things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllanLisa Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 (edited) Guys, when was the Playstation 5 been released for the Chinese market? I understand why sony tried to ignore China for a while, but let's be objective, that is not profitable. I mean, China is probably the most significant market in the world at this moment. They have enough money to buy basically everything, and they also produce many things that you might need in the future. Sony and other great companies should find another way of "kneeling" the Chinese government. I like the most about some other companies like EA, the prices they have in China are the ones that we have in the US. I mentioned that when I tried to buy some CHEAP MUT 21 COINS, I thought they would be cheaper if I had a Chinese account. Edited August 3, 2021 by AllanLisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pisondi Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 China has always been ready for technology but they were not taken into consideration until recently when they became too powerful to be ignored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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